Swift Current’s snappy socks hits major U.S. TV airwaves

Local photographer Corla Rokochy’s solution to her family’s missing sock issue has kicked off a successful second business for the busy mom of five, whose unique product Snappy Socks was recently featured on a segment on NBC’s Today Show.

“I just got so sick of sorting socks, and dealing with lost sock piles, I thought there had to be a better way to keep socks together,” Rokochy said. “I was complaining on my blog about having to do the laundry, and made this joke about going on Dragon’s Den with my idea for ‘idiot socks’ that were tied together with string. It was a total joke, at the time.”However, when Rokochy heard that the show would be visiting Saskatoon to audition ideas, she started to consider the true merits of her joke. The night before the auditions, Rokochy bought a cheap pair of socks to make a $5 prototype of her idea.After Rokochy was selected to appear on the show, she had to decide whether the financial commitment of flying her family to Toronto was worth it for a ‘joke idea’ that she put together on a whim.“I found out that they only picked about 400 people out of 10,000, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that 9,600 other people wanted to have and didn’t get,” she explained. “I realized that I needed to take this seriously, so I started talking to other business people and really doing my research. This had the potential to be a big thing, but we might also be completely humiliated. There are just no guarantees.”From humble beginnings, Rokochy’s Snappy Socks have grown to international distribution through a partnership with Barry Mann. Mann is another Swift Current native who came up with a concept for a new kind of a shoe, and launched Dawgs Footwear with his brother, Steve. “It’s two Swift Current success stories coming together,” Rokochy said. “He’s helped take over my marketing, and is really the one responsible for us getting on the Today Show. It’s been a great partnership, though, and everything still has my name — Snappy Socks by Corla.”Rokochy feels incredibly proud her small idea has turned into such a success, and admits that it didn’t happen overnight. While the kickstart from Dragon’s Den was a great beginning, she still works hard to keep her business growing.“Everyone has an idea like that, something that could make their lives easier, but we rarely have the opportunity to actually make that happen,” she said. “It’s been pretty exciting, seeing our product going out to so many viewers across America.”Snappy Socks are available in Swift Current at Babble and at Sputtergotch, but Rokochy is still looking for a retail location for her new adult socks. She noted Christmas is a busy time of year.“I think everyone expects to get underwear and socks in their stockings or under the tree, so it’s a great time of year for us — especially since we just got some new stock in,” Rokochy said. “It’s Canada, so people here spend quite a bit of the year needing socks.”